Stroom Invest interviews / curator #2 Lieven Segers

Lieven Segers is an artist as well as a curator. As an artist, he collects small moments that put serious issues into perspective in a humorous way. His works are lighthearted, but if you look more closely also show the dark side of this world. He has been a guest curator in Belgium numerous times. We conducted a Proust Questionnaire with this versatile Belgium curator / artist.

The interpretation of the words ‘perfect’ and ‘happiness’ are not clear to me. The pursuit of happiness or even finding the perfect happiness are mistakes. However, the word ‘idea’ is interesting. An idea that comes from an (artistic) point of view is something that can generate a certain beauty and bring salvation.

What is your greatest fear?

Difficult. I try to have as little fear as possible. Maybe the fear of becoming anxious? So that it creates a distance from reality?

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

A certain kind of impatience that makes it hard to concentrate and to listen to someone.

What is the trait you most deplore in others?

Selfishness and gluttony. Standing up for yourself without taking into account that there are other people too. A type of opportunism that goes to any lenghts and is not at all generous. A misplaced idea of human survival.

This work represents that type of opportunistic gluttony:

Lieven Segers: I Want Magic and Miracles and Everything

Which living person do you most admire?

I better not tell you this.

What is your greatest extravagance?

I find excesses not a problem, even attractive. Just like everyone else this is the case with drink, drugs and books.

What is your current state of mind?

Hypersensitive.

What do you consider the most overrated virtue?

Originality. (This is also D Bowie’s answer to this question, so not original: -)))

At times when it does not matter to tell the truth, that honesty at that time or later on cannot possibly be understood by the other party. In that case it is absolutely not important to be truthful. Because it would only be about yourself and would leave the other person behind feeling hurt and unhappy.

In a collaboration between Jegens&Tevens and Stroom Den Haag a series of interviews will be published with (inter)national curators, artists and critics participating in Stroom’s Invest Week 2018.

The Invest Week is an annual 4-day program for artists who were granted the PRO Invest subsidy. This subsidy supports young artists based in The Hague in the development of their artistic practice and is aimed to keep artists and graduates of the art academy in the city of The Hague. In order to give the artists an extra incentive, Stroom organizes this week that consists of a public evening of talks, a program of studio visits, presentations and a number of informal meetings. The intent is to broaden the visibility of artists from The Hague through future exhibitions, presentations and exchange programs. The Invest Week 2018 will take place from 18 to 22 June, the public evening is on Wednesday following the exhibition My Practice My Politics.